Irish Team Cycling Gear

Mercian Pro

Spotted this photo of Lara Gillespie in Thursday's Irish Times. While it's great to see cycling and cyclists featured, the design of the team gear is anything but flattering. Anyone else feel it could be improved?

Squidgy Black

It’s been the same sort of design for years, agree it’s very plain and unimaginative. The Adidas kit for the olympics was slightly different and at least had a sort of pattern, but still had the big black bar on the chest with Ireland on it.

Most other countries try and involve the flag there, but instead we’ve persisted with a big black bar and block lettering as the focal point

magicbastarder

i'm not quite sure what the big black splodge around the crotch is for.

Wishbone Ash

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119469633#Comment_119469633

I think it's deliberately like that as Cycling Ireland is a 32 county organisation and a tricolour across the front may cause concern in certain quarters.

Squidgy Black

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119469826#Comment_119469826

That’s a fair point but they don’t have an issue with the national champions jersey having a tricolour on it though

edit: actually I’m wrong the cyclingireland ones don’t have the tricolour on the arms

eeeee

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119469667#Comment_119469667

Modesty panel, more for men than the women

magicbastarder

i don't think it works for the women at all; seems to draw attention toward the crotch area rather than away from it.

dahat

Red helmets are worse looking for those who like things to match.

Mercian Pro

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119469888#Comment_119469888

If so, I can't think of any other national team kit that sports it. Do Irish team members (!) have more to be modest about than others?

eeeee

Maybe!

You see the world and euro champs ride with black panels too, I think Sagan used to sport one.

I've defo seen them on other kits. Unless I've imagined it!

Wishbone Ash

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119473783#Comment_119473783

Totally unrelated but Churchill's comment on Attlee comes to mind - "A modest little man with much to be modest about".

endacl

Could be worse…

Mercian Pro

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119474346#Comment_119474346

How did I know before starting this thread that someone would resurrect that photo?

In the OP the picture shows short sleeved skin suit but on the track in recent days I noticed some of the women had taken a scissors to their sleeves, Alice Sharpe for sure. Couldn't get a good look at Emily Kay to see if was actually the short sleeved kit she had or she'd cut them too.

As for the kit itself I actually don't mind it, better than many but not as good as others.

Mercian Pro

Slightly different design for the men but the womens' skin suits really look like they have a black patch sewn on. The two two shades of grey/black don't help either.

Eve's had the scissors out aswell from the looks of it, maybe the women's kit doesn't come in a short sleeved skinsuit? One of the lads is in old kit with the old CI logo on it.

Squidgy Black

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119478457#Comment_119478457

That’s Eddie Dunbar, last years kit from the worlds I think it is, although someone should’ve slapped him around the head for the black socks and white shoes never mind the old kit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119478697#Comment_119478697

No Eddie is in current kit, just he's in a jersey and bibs vs a skin suit. Man in the middle (Townsend I think) is the odd one out in the old gear, check the CI logo on his.

Squidgy Black

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119478758#Comment_119478758

Yeah you’re right that’s Townsend, didn’t think the regular jerseys were different to the skinsuits that’s a bit mad.

I stand by my socks comment though

Mr. Cats

I see ‘Bora’ on the shorts. How does that work? Is it just a regular team sponsorship or does it have some connection to Bennett & Mullens’s contracts with the pro team?

fryup

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119469667#Comment_119469667

the time of month?

eeeee

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119479373#Comment_119479373

its only on Bennett and Mullen's shorts cos they're with Bora

Mercian Pro

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119469959#Comment_119469959

I think that's what caused my wife to comment "how can you expect young girls to be attracted to cycling if that's what you have to wear at the highest level?"